Programme

The development of digital technologies and the alternative media have brought to the fore the issue of fake news, making it a major headache for modern journalism. How can anyone distinguish truth from lies when the number of sources and channels of circulating information is increasing every day? The problem of disseminating false information has become a matter of concern not only for global media companies but also for the largest Internet platforms. Facebook and Google, in collaboration with the world’s leading media, have implemented content verification systems to sift through data to see if it is authentic. Can it be possible that modern society has no mechanism to shield itself from smear campaigns and mud-slinging? How can we deal with disinformation and attempts to manipulate public opinion? Are we going to face an era when it is impossible to distinguish between fake news and credible reports, or will only material that receives the majority of views and likes on social media be considered reliable?

Moderators
Mikhail Gusman , Chairman, Russian National Committee of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication; Vice-President, News Agency World Council (NACO)
Giuseppe Cerbone , Chief Executive Officer, ANSA

Mikhail Gusman

Chairman, Russian National Committee of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication; Vice-President, News Agency World Council (NACO)

Born January 23, 1950, in Baku (Azerbaijan). Graduated from the Azerbaijani University of Foreign Languages and the Department of journalism at the Baku Higher School of Political Sciences. 1973 to 1986: Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Youth Organization of the Azerbaijani. 1986 to 1991: Information Department Chief and Director of the Press center at the Committee of Youth Organization of the USSR. 1991 to 1995: General Director of the «Infomol» Association for Cooperation in Information. 1995 to 1998: Vice-President of the «ANKOM-TASS» International Analytic Agency. 1998 to 1999: Chief of the ITAR-TASS Department for International Cooperation. January 1999 to October 2000: Deputy Director-General of ITAR-TASS. October 2000: Appointed First Deputy Director-General of ITAR-TASS by Russian President Vladimir V.Putin. Since 1999: Executive Secretary of the World Association of the Russian Press (WARP). Since May 2000: Secretary-General of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA). Since September 2002: Vice-President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). Member of the Board of the «Mediasoyuz» - Russian Media Organization; Member of the Board of the Moscow Union of journalists; Member of the International Academy of Information; Professor, Doctor of Political Science; Merited Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Giuseppe Cerbone

Chief Executive Officer, ANSA

Giuseppe Cerbone is Managing Director and General Manager of ANSA, Italy's leading News Agency and the fourth-largest in the world. After graduating in Computer Science in Italy he obtained a PhD in the same subject at Oregon State University in the United States where he subsequently taught for four years, specialising in artificial intelligence. He also worked with NASA research centers and NeXT Computer. After returning to Italy in 1992 he worked in multi-media for companies in the IRI-Stet Group before moving to the publishing sector where, among other posts, he was Managing Director and General Manager of the Il Sole 24 Ore Group. Throughout his career he has been committed to researching and spreading technological know-how linked to the knowledge economy. He has been Vice President of the Italian Institute of Technology and is at present Vice President of Punto IT.

Panellists
Maria Zakharova , Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Sergey Mikhaylov , General Director, Russian News Agency TASS
Kakuya Ogata , Managing Director, International Department, Kyodo News
Ian Phillips , Vice President for International News, Associated Press (AP)

Maria Zakharova

Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

1998: Graduated from the International Information Faculty at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Russian Foreign Ministry, specialising in international journalism. Speaks English and Chinese. Holds the diplomatic rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Second Class. After graduation, Ms Zakharova started working at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Worked as the editor of the Diplomatic Bulletin monthly publication. Also served as head of the department for media monitoring at the Information and Press Department. 2005–2008: Head of the Press Service of Russia’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York City. 2008−2011: Held various positions in the ministry’s central office. 2011-2015 Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2015-present time Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian MFA. PhD in History. Member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defence Policy.

Sergey Mikhaylov

General Director, Russian News Agency TASS

Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhaylov was born in Arkhangelsk on March 17, 1971. He graduated from the Faculty of International Information (Journalism) of Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO), Department of Public Relations. 1990 - 1991 - President, Association of Young Journalists “OKO”. 1992 - 1993 - Co-founder and partner of the “Ya” Corporation” advertising agency. One of the founders of Russia’s PR industry. 1993-2004 - Founder and Managing Partner, “Mikhaylov & Partners” Public Relations Agency. 2004 - 2005 - Advisor to the President and Board Member, Russian Railways (RZD OJSC). 2005 - 2006 - Head, Public Relations Department, Board member, Russian Railways. 2006 - September 2012 - Head, Corporate Communications Department, Board member, Russian Railways. From September 17, 2012 - TASS Director General. Sergey Mikhaylov is one of the founders of the Russian Public Relations Association of (RPRA), Honorary Member of RPRA. 2000 - 2001 - President of the Russia section of the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO). Member of the Russian Union of Journalists. Author of over 200 publications. Member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). A shareholder and publisher of “So-Obshcheniye” Magazine. In 2002 and 2003, Sergey Mikhaylov was rated among the 1,000 most professional managers in Russia (Professional Services category) conducted by the Russian Association of Managers and the “Kommersant” newspaper. In 2006 - recognized as one of the most professional directors of public and corporate affairs in the country, according to the rating of the TOP-1,000 Russian Managers. In 2011 - took premier place in the rating of the TOP-1,000 Russian Managers of the Russian Association of Managers in the Rating of Directors of Public and Corporate Affairs for 2011. Included in the personnel reserve of the Russian President. Awarded the Medal for the Development of Railways by the RF Presidential decree.

Kakuya Ogata

Managing Director, International Department, Kyodo News

Kakuya Ogata is Managing Director of International Department of Kyodo News Agency. International Department is in charge of Kyodo's foreign-language news services and global strategy. Kakuya Ogata assumed his present post in June 2015 after serving as deputy managing director of the Digital Operations Department and deputy managing director of the Strategic Planning Office. Between 2001 and 2004, Ogata served as correspondent at the Kyodo Washington Bureau, covering the White House and the State Department. He was the chief of the Kyodo Bonn Bureau between 1996 and 1999, concurrently serving as head of the Berlin and Warsaw Bureaus.　 Prior to working at the overseas bureaus, we served as a reporter at Kyodo's Foreign News Department. He joined Kyodo in 1984.

Ian Phillips

Vice President for International News, Associated Press (AP)

Phillips was appointed as a Vice-president for International News in July, 2016. He is responsible for all of the organization's editors, reporters, photographers and video journalists outside the United States. He exerts best efforts to coordinate coverage across all news formats and to expand this approach to all of AP's international operations to all of AP's international operations. Coordination across formats — including text, video and photos — is already employed by AP journalists in places including Russia and regional hubs in London, Cairo, Mexico City and Bangkok. Phillips, who headed AP's first all-formats region in eastern and central Europe, works to expand it in a push to speed and simplify decision-making by news leaders in the field. Phillips, who is British, joined the AP in 1994 in Argentina, where he had previously worked for Reuters and The Buenos Aires Herald. After reporting from Latin America, he worked for the news cooperative in Paris, London and New York. In 2004, he returned to London as deputy editor for Europe and Africa, before being named head of the Prague-based hub for coverage of eastern and central Europe. He has directed coverage of the Middle East from 2013 to 2016. He was a part of a team that launched Middle East Extra, a premium video service. Phillips, who speaks Spanish, French and German in addition to English. In 2016 he was a part of the Sulzberger Leadership Program at Columbia University.